Texas opened the season by getting what Steve Sarkisian has been chasing: cleaner work in the red zone.
Against Texas State, the Longhorns finished with 6 red zone scores on 7 chances, good for an 87.5% touchdown rate. For a program that has drawn plenty of scrutiny in that area under Sarkisian, it was a sharp first step after a stretch that has included a touchdown rate just over 50% in 2023, then 63.7% in 2024 and 63.8% last season. In two of the last three years, Texas ranked 63rd or lower nationally in red zone scoring percentage.
Horns247 will track that part of Texas’ offense after every game this season, and the opener gave them plenty to chart. The Longhorns found the end zone in a variety of ways, with Arch Manning distributing efficiently and the run game also doing damage once the field tightened.
The first red zone trip ended with Manning hitting Cam Coleman from 6 yards out after Hollywood Smothers helped move the ball inside the 10. On the next chance, Manning connected with Spencer Shannon and then Ryan Wingo for an 8-yard touchdown sequence that pushed Texas across.
Raleek Brown also played a major role. On the third red zone possession, he turned a second-and-1 at the Texas State 12 into a 13-yard touchdown run. Later, Brown was part of a more chaotic trip that ended badly for Texas, as the Longhorns came away empty after an interception by Ryan Nolan intended for Emmett Mosley V.
That was the lone miss in the bunch. Texas answered on the next opportunity when Manning found Cam Coleman on a 20-yard strike for another touchdown, and the drive also drew a roughing-the-passer penalty on Chancellor Owens that will be enforced on the ensuing kickoff.
The Longhorns kept rolling from there. Brown and Manning combined again on the sixth red zone chance, with Manning throwing 13 yards to Daylan Smothers for a touchdown. Texas finished the night with one more red zone visit and one more score, this one capped by James Simon’s 7-yard run with 2:08 remaining.
For one night, at least, the red zone looked a lot more like a strength than a problem.
In Other News...
College GameDay Sees Texas As A Contender But Not A Sure Thing
ESPNs College GameDay spent part of the weekend sorting through the SECs top tier, and Texas came out of it with something close to a respectability stamp. Several of the panels analysts, including Nick Saban and Desmond Howard, weighed in on the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship, and the consensus leaned toward Georgia as the favorite to come out of the conference. Even so, the Longhorns were firmly in the conversation, which is where they wanted to be entering another season with bigger expectations attached to the program.
Desmond Howard went a step farther and picked Texas to win both the SEC and the national title, a reminder that the Longhorns are being viewed as more than just a team with upside. At the same time, the broader skepticism around the league suggests they still have to prove they belong in that same elite bucket as Georgia. Texas will get its first chance to start making that case when it opens the season against Texas State, with the early weeks likely to shape how much of that playoff buzz is real. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Returns To Knoxville For A UT Showdown Fans Will Feel
Texas is headed back to a familiar old SEC-era stage next fall, with the Longhorns set to meet Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The noon ET kickoff gives the game a marquee spot on the schedule, and the setting alone should give it a different feel from a typical nonconference road trip, especially for fans who still remember how rarely these two programs have crossed paths in East Tennessee.
What makes the trip even more notable is the return to a venue where Texas has not played this matchup in generations, which only adds to the anticipation around a game that already carries plenty of name recognition. Tickets are already on the market too, with prices stretching from $350 to $1,650, a reminder that this one is expected to draw plenty of attention well before the teams actually get to Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Depth Chart Already Reveals A Few Surprising Early Battles
Texas released its first official depth chart of the season ahead of the Texas State game, and it already offered a few hints about where the early competition is fiercest. The Longhorns listed starters and backups across offense, defense and special teams, giving the first real look at how the staff is sorting out roles after camp.
Among the more notable choices, sophomore Dylan Sikorski is penciled in ahead of sixth-year Laurence Seymore at left guard, a sign that the interior line picture is still taking shape. The rest of the chart also suggests Texas is not afraid to make some early calls and keep a few jobs open to challenge, which is exactly the kind of pressure a team wants before the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]